Chapter 262: "Just Call Me Xiao Yao"
As Xiao Yan re entered the lowest level of the Tianfen Qi Refining Tower, Su Qian's gaze carried a newfound trace of reverence.
Xiao Yan merely smiled, signaling for Su Qian to open the protective energy barrier once again, granting him entry into the magma world below.
"First Elder, don't forget our agreement," Xiao Yan said with a grin. "Once I find you a more obedient Fallen Heart Flame, this larger one will be mine."
Without waiting for a response, Xiao Yan leaped into the sea of magma with a splash.
Su Qian's expression turned complicated as he watched Xiao Yan disappear.
When they first met, Xiao Yan's strength had already impressed him, but the events that followed only deepened Su Qian's uncertainty.
Just what level of power did Xiao Yan truly possess?
And more importantly, what sort of unimaginable backing did he have? A Dou Zun willingly serving as his subordinate was beyond comprehension, even if Xiao Yan himself was exceptionally powerful.
Meanwhile, Xiao Yan swam effortlessly through the molten sea.
Despite the rising temperature and crushing pressure, his expression remained calm.
His extraordinary strength and the protection of his Heavenly Flames allowed him to move freely in this fiery domain as if it were a peaceful river.
After diving deeper, Xiao Yan flicked his fingers, summoning a transparent serpent formed from Heart Flame Essence.
Although it wasn't even comparable to a fragment of the Fallen Heart Flame, this refined essence carried some of its properties and retained a trace of Xiao Yan's spiritual connection.
This small snake would significantly ease the search process in the vast expanse of magma.
The snake darted through the molten sea, weaving playfully for a moment before heading decisively in one direction.
Seeing this, Xiao Yan smiled faintly and followed closely.
The fiery world of endless red grew darker as Xiao Yan delved deeper. The temperature became unbearable for ordinary beings, but Xiao Yan remained unaffected.
"Seems like the old Tian Huo Zun zhe's resting place is quite deep," Xiao Yan muttered to himself.
As the Heart Flame Essence snake slowed its pace, Xiao Yan's smile deepened.
He could sense faint spatial distortions in the area an indication that something extraordinary was nearby.
Moments later, the snake floated upward, diving into an unassuming area of magma. The sea of molten rock stirred, forming a vortex that revealed a glowing, transparent barrier.
Xiao Yan's eyes brightened as he stepped closer.
Inside the glowing circle was no living creature only a set of white bones, faintly luminescent, lying undisturbed. Above the skeleton hovered a flame, invisible to the naked eye yet exuding an immense, fiery aura.
"Finally, I've found you, Tian Huo Zun zhe," Xiao Yan chuckled, his gaze fixed on the skeleton and the flame above it.
The flame was unmistakable it was another Fallen Heart Flame.
With a smirk, Xiao Yan prepared to step into the barrier.
Suddenly, a fiery blast shot toward him from the side.
Without turning, Xiao Yan's body glowed faintly, dispersing the attack into nothingness.
He glanced over his shoulder to see a fiery red creature standing a dozen meters away.
The creature had crimson scales, a stout body, and a tail nearly five meters long. It stood upright on two legs, resembling a lizard that had learned to walk.
The Fire Lizard screeched, preparing another attack.
Annoyance flickered across Xiao Yan's face.
"Scram!" he commanded, his voice amplified by Dou Qi.
The soundwave struck the creature like a hammer, leaving it dazed and trembling. Blood trickled from its mouth as it staggered backward, its eyes filled with fear.
Without hesitation, it turned and fled deeper into the magma.
Xiao Yan smirked, then stepped into the barrier.
The crimson surroundings vanished, replaced by a serene glow of white light.
His gaze swept briefly over the hovering Fallen Heart Flame before settling on the skeleton beneath it.
"Come on out," Xiao Yan said, his tone playful. "If you don't show yourself, I'll have to drag you out myself."
The skeleton remained still, as if ignoring him.
"Oh? Playing hard to get?" Xiao Yan grinned mischievously, raising his hand.
A terrifying surge of energy coalesced in his palm as he prepared to strike the skeleton.
Just as the blow was about to land, a calm voice echoed through the space.
"Stop!"
As the voice fell, a beam of white light emerged from the skeleton, materializing into the faint, ghostly image of an elderly man.
The figure was clad in flowing white robes, his hair and beard as pure as snow. Although his face was aged, his eyes retained a glimmer of vitality.
"Young man, you're quite disrespectful to your elders!" The old man scowled at Xiao Yan.
According to the usual script, wasn't this the moment where a long dead expert like himself would suddenly appear and impress the intruding youngster with his grand aura?
Yet here was this brat, exuding immense strength from the start, rudely about to smash his skeleton without any reverence or preamble.
Facing the elder's complaint, Xiao Yan showed no guilt whatsoever. Instead, he grinned mischievously at the floating spirit.
"Old man, meeting me is your greatest fortune. Why are you pretending to be some reclusive sage?"
The elder froze briefly, his expression quickly souring. "Do you even know who I am? How dare you speak to me like this?"
"Of course I know who you are." Xiao Yan's grin widened. "You're Yao Tianhuo, a well known Dou Zun expert from the Central Plains nearly a millennium ago. Many called you the Heavenly Fire Venerable."
Hearing this, the Heavenly Fire Venerable's face revealed a trace of astonishment.
"How do you know my name?"
"Why wouldn't I know your name?" Xiao Yan chuckled. "I don't just know your name I even know how you died."
The elder's expression turned skeptical as he stared at Xiao Yan. "Oh? And how did I die?"
Xiao Yan's smirk deepened. "You grew greedy and bit off more than you could chew. You attempted to merge two Fallen Heart Flames, but the conflicting powers clashed inside your body and severely injured you.
"Later, you were ambushed by a tribe of Fire Lizards while gravely weakened. Half dead, you became trapped here until you ultimately perished. Am I right?"
Xiao Yan's teasing smile didn't waver.
Hearing this, the elder's once imposing demeanor crumbled, replaced by a look of sheer terror.
"You! Who are you? How do you know all this?"
"Who am I?" Xiao Yan's grin grew wider, seeing the elder's stunned reaction.
"I am Xiao Yan, the current Emperor's Heir of the Xiao Clan."
At the mention of the Xiao Clan, the Heavenly Fire Venerable's translucent form visibly trembled.
Although he wasn't familiar with the title Emperor's Heir, he could deduce that Xiao Yan must hold an extraordinarily high status within the legendary Xiao Clan.
"So, you're a young master of the Xiao Clan… I see, I see!" The elder's tone softened, and a polite smile appeared on his face.
Back when Xiao Xuan became a Dou Di, the Heavenly Fire Venerable had only been a humble Dou Huang. By the time he ascended to Dou Zun, the Xiao Clan was at the height of its glory.
The Xiao Clan had wiped out the Hun Clan less than a century earlier, and their experts, empowered by Xiao Xuan's Dou Di bloodline, seemed endless.
In those days, even a Xiao Clan hound might have been a Dou Zong. Seven out of every ten Dou Zun experts in the Central Plains carried the surname Xiao.
Having personally witnessed the Xiao Clan's dominance, the Heavenly Fire Venerable harbored deep respect for them.
Seeing how quickly the elder adapted to the situation, Xiao Yan refrained from further teasing him. Instead, he stated his terms directly:
"Hand over both Fallen Heart Flames here, and I'll find a way to revive you."
At the word revive, the Heavenly Fire Venerable froze. A flicker of hope lit his ghostly eyes.
"Are you serious?"
"Of course. But if I revive you, you'll work under me from now on," Xiao Yan said, his tone light but firm.
"Haha! If Young Master Xiao Yan can truly bring me back to life, I'll gladly serve you, even without such a condition!"
The Heavenly Fire Venerable's immediate compliance pleased Xiao Yan immensely.
"If only everyone were as sensible as you," Xiao Yan remarked with a satisfied nod.
"Yao Lao…" Xiao Yan began again, but the elder quickly interrupted him.
"Oh no, no! Please, just call me Xiao Yao!" The Heavenly Fire Venerable's eager humility left Xiao Yan momentarily at a loss for words.
Suppressing a chuckle, Xiao Yan continued, "I've heard you possess a unique flame technique the Five Separation Flame Wheel. Is that true?"
(End of Chapter)
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